Notebooks

Story: How the Ichneumon discovered what the Mantis did with the honey

Title

Collection

Summary

In the arrangement of the myths regarding the Mantis, it has appeared to me most convenient to place first that one in which the Mantis takes away a shoe belonging to his son-in-law /kwámmana, and converts it into an eland, of which he makes a pet, placing it among the reeds, and going thither from time to time to feed it with honey. The Ichneumon is then sent out to discover why the Mantis brings no honey home, but as the Mantis puts him into a bag while he calls the eland from the reeds, the Ichneumon is at first unsuccessful; later, by the advice of his father, he cuts a peep-hole in the sack. /kwámmana, on being told about the eland, shoots it, after they have enticed it with honey to come out of the reeds. The Mantis, going again, misses his pet, and weeps bitterly. Following its spoor, he sees blood, and later finds some Mierkats or Suricats (Suricata Zenick, or Rhyzaena suricata), together with another person, who is cutting it up. One of the Suricats throws the Mantis violently down upon the horns of the dead eland. He, therefore (by piercing the gall of another eland), creates darkness, into which he springs away; and returning home in pain, lies down, while the Sun is still high. The Suricats cut the eland’s flesh into slices, hanging it upon a tree to dry, and upon the same tree they hung their weapons and their skin clothing. In the night, while they were sleeping, this tree laden with their possessions, rose up and passed through the air, descending where the Mantis lay. The Mantis and Ichneumon (upon waking) took possession of their enemies’ things. One of the Suricats (with only his girdle left, which he made into a tail) returned home to be stared at and questioned by his wife. We have two versions of the above myth, one given by our old Bushman //kábbo (L II.-4. 489-493, 504-513, 515-519). Another version, in the Katkop dialect, was handed down to Día!kwãin by his mother (L V.-1. 3608-3683).

Comments

1) This story was told to Dia!kwain by his mother (≠kamme-an), who came from ||kabbo's place, 2) p.3612v: see How the Ichneumon discovered what the Mantis did with the honey (a second 'right' version), 3) p.3648v: another Dutch name for the xara-ggu is the Erdmann, 4) p.3650v: |kaggen's arrows fly back at him, almost killing him, 5) p.3651v: Dia!kwain gives the name of flesh cooked (baked) using heated stones, 6) See also The reasons for the colours of the gemsbok, the hartebeest, the eland, the quagga, and the springbok and The Ichneumon's speech when the Mantis had taken away the Meerkats' possessions and The |kaggen who took |kammanga's shoe, and turned it into an eland, 7) This story is found in Book V-1